The present invention relates to downhill skiing and specifically to a device for conveniently carrying ski boots of the type used in downhill, or alpine, skiing.
Modern ski boots for use in downhill, or alpine, skiing are large and stiff and extend a considerable distance up the legs of the user, making it somewhat uncomfortable to walk while wearing such boots, although they are adapted particularly well for use in controlling skis. Such boots are normally carried, then, instead of being worn, except while the user is actually on the ski slopes.
Until the late 1960's most ski boots were fastened with laces, which could be tied together to sling a pair of ski boots over one's shoulder with one boot in front and one boot over the back of the skier, but modern ski boots are equipped with buckles instead of laces, making this impossible. Carriers called boot trees are available, to which ski boots may be attached by clamps, allowing a pair of ski boots to be carried in one hand by using such a carrier.
In addition to requiring one to hold a handle, however, many of such previously available "boot tree" carriers are fairly large, including, as they do, a rigid plate to which the ski boots are clamped. Such carriers often take up an undesirable amount of space if stored in a locker at a ski area, but they cannot be carried easily during skiing, and are easily stolen in locations where lockers are not available.
Another carrier consists of a loop of cord, a slide to reduce the size of the opening of the loop, and a T handle to which the loop is fastened. This carrier also keeps the user's hand occupied, and it is not well adapted for carrying some types of boots.
Olson U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,284 discloses a device including a pair of plates to which ski boots are clamped individually. The plates are suspended from a pair of skis carried over one's shoulder, with one boot in front and one behind the user's shoulder. While the Olson device frees the user's hands, it nevertheless occupies an undesirably large amount of space and is not well adapted to being carried by the user during skiing.
While it would be possible to tie a cord to each of a pair of boots and thus carry the boots slung over one's shoulder, there are some drawbacks to doing so. First, it is not particularly easy to tie a cord securely to a ski boot, in a way in which the boots are held conveniently. This is particularly true in cold weather when the skier may be wearing heavy gloves. Additionally, such a cord carried on the shoulder of the user would be uncomfortable, cutting into a skier's shoulder under the weight of a pair of boots.
While it is possible to tie a cord securely to nearly any ski boot, it is very difficult to securely fasten a cord to many types of non-conventional boots in a way n which the boots are suspended in an attitude in which they are easily carried. For example, simply using a noose to fasten a cord to a buckle of some ski boots is possible, but the location of the buckles makes this very awkward with other boots.
It is well known to carry a pair of skis using a strap device, as is shown in Hogensen, Jr. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,920,166, Helmert U.S. Pat. No. 2,530,695, and Newman U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,493, but no such device for carrying modern ski boots conveniently is known.
What is needed, therefore, is a ski boot carrier which is light in weight, comfortable, and convenient to use, which permits one the free use of his or her hands, which is adaptable for boots having any of the many closure systems, in various sizes, which may be carried easily during skiing, and which occupies only a small amount of space when not in use. Ideally such a boot carrier should carry boots in a position comfortably close to the user's body, so that they do not interfere with normal movement.